Wicked Bites, premiering on NESN Nov. 16, will be heading out to find your favorite spots for New England’s best sports, food and fun. The show, Hosted by Pat Whitley of The Pat Whitley Restaurant Show, will feature local sports stars and celebrity guests at their favorite restaurants throughout New England.

The show has fun and fast-paced segments that take a unique approach to examine how food and sport has become intertwined amongst passionate New England fans.

The series kicks off Nov. 16 and features stops at Ascari in Braintree, Mass., KC’s Rib Shack in Manchester N.H., and more in the premiere. Check out the show’s promotional video below and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

The New Hampshire native is being sidelined based on a shocking ruling by The International Paraylmpic Committee (IPC), that says her disability may not be permanent and therefore she’s ineligible to compete.

“IPC Swimming can confirm that Victoria Arlen of the USA will not participate at the 2013 IPC Swimming World Championships and future IPC Swimming competitions having failed to provide conclusive evidence of a permanent eligible impairment. Following her classification at the London 2012 Paralympic Games last August, IPC Swimming requested a medical report into her impairment within 12 months. This was duly provided by the USOC on 24 July 2013.”

“I’m so heartbroken with what has happened,” she posted on Facebook recently. “I feel numb and completely shocked with the turn of events. To have trained so hard this past year and come so far only to be humiliated and targeted by the IPC for reasons unknown baffles me. “

Arlen, 18, suffered a rare neurological disorder of the spinal cord just seven years ago. It left her paralyzed from the waist down within weeks. Then, within months, she fell into a three-year coma and was fighting for her life.

Arlen fought through and just last year, the local girl made the U.S. Paralympic swim team and not only won a gold medal in the Paralymic Games in London but she set a world record, too.

Arlen also appeared on the ESPYs this year when she was a runner-up for the “Best Female Athlete With A Disability.”

Being penalized for maybe having a glimmer of hope of one day being able to walk again is beyond sad. What message are we giving the world when we don’t encourage hope for disabled individuals? I always choose hope and encourage hope no matter the circumstance. As it stands today unfortunately I am disabled and that won’t change in the near future. As much as I’d like it to it is not a reality. To be told I’m ineligible only days before World Championships is beyond ridiculous. Being up in Montreal only to have to head home is devastating. The definite reasons given to make the ineligible decision come to pass were not clear and do not seem fair. Although there is not much I can do I just pray for answers and a reason for all of this. Everything does happen for a reason and sometimes these reasons are hard to fathom and explain. I continue to have the [utmost] respect for the Paralympic movement and the IPC and hope that this will not happen to anyone else. Nobody should have to go through this. Lastly I want to thank everyone for all of the incredible support and love. It truly means so much! Also a special thank you to everyone on Team USA for wrapping their arms around me and supporting and fighting for me. Go USA!

Arlen’s a proud Bruins fans, too, as seen in the photos below.

Filed under: Headlines, NESN Staff, New England Spotlight, Olympics]]>http://nesn.com/2013/08/swimmer-victoria-arlen-of-new-hampshire-ruled-ineligible-to-compete-in-paralympic-games/feed/00VictorianesnjbeattievvvicU.S. Amateurs Facing Tough Course Alterations, Historic Pressure at The Country Club in Brooklinehttp://nesn.com/2013/07/u-s-amateurs-facing-tough-course-alterations-historic-pressure-at-the-country-club-in-brookline/
http://nesn.com/2013/07/u-s-amateurs-facing-tough-course-alterations-historic-pressure-at-the-country-club-in-brookline/#commentsFri, 26 Jul 2013 15:33:49 +0000http://nesn.com/?p=208761Read More »]]>BROOKLINE, Mass. — As if the pressure the field of 312 golfers participating in this year’s U.S. Amateur isn’t high enough, they’ll be facing historic pressure at one of the nation’s first golf courses.

One-hundred years ago in 1913, at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., local lad Francis Ouimet, who lived across the street from TCC, took the golf world by storm by winning the U.S. Open. The 20-year-old topped Brits Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff to put American golf on the front page of newspapers across the country.

Ouimet, who could see 17th hole from his bedroom, birdied the difficult par 4 to get into the three-way playoff. He would birdie that same hole the next day, which was a turning point in his winning round over golf’s two biggest superstars of the day.

But Ouimet wasn’t the only one to make history on the 17th hole, as it was there in 1999 when Justin Leonard and the United States Ryder Cup team would shock the golf world, yet again, in three memorable steps: Chip. Putt. Celebrate.

And now it’s the nation’s best amateurs aiming to make history at the club, which was founded in 1882 for horseback-riding. But this course has come a long way since the ponies grazed the grounds. In fact, the USGA made some major changes to the course to test the mettle and strength of this year’s field.

The back 9 eats up 3,962 yards of 7,310 total yards in this year’s par 70 layout and it’s the back 9 where the field will have to play its best and smartest golf. The ninth hole is a converted par 4 that will play 505 yards. The revamped 12th hole is a 623-yard par 5 behemoth. The 14th hole is yet another converted par 4 that will be 508 yards.

“For those that start on the ninth hole during the championship, I wish them the best of luck,” said Ben Kimball, the USGA’s director of the 2013 US Amateur. “That stretch of golf holes could be the hardest that I’ve seen at a US Amateur in a number of years.

“The goal of the U.S. Amateur is to identify the best player on a great golf course under difficult conditions,” Kimball added.

Needless to say, Kimball and the USGA certainly found their course.

Charles River Country Club will serve as the companion stroke-play qualifying course.

PAR AND YARDAGE: The Country Club will be set up at 7,310 yards and will play to a par of 34-36–70. The companion stroke-play qualifying course, Charles River Country Club will be set up at 6,574 yards and will play to a par of 35-35–70.(All yardages subject to change)

THE COUNTRY CLUB HOLE BY HOLE:

Hole

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Total

Par

4

3

4

4

4

4

3

4

4

34

Yards

490

192

448

338

494

310

196

375

505

3,348

Hole

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Total

Par

4

4

5

4

4

4

3

4

4

36

Yards

476

443

623

438

508

491

179

371

433

3,962

CHARLES RIVER COUNTRY CLUB HOLE BY HOLE:

Hole

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Total

Par

4

5

4

3

4

4

4

4

3

35

Yards

420

501

373

152

390

354

484

427

179

3,280

Hole

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Total

Par

4

3

4

4

3

5

5

3

4

35

Yards

469

243

350

348

192

505

558

188

441

3,294

ARCHITECTS: The Country Club evolved as a collaborative design. In 1893, the first six holes were designed by the club’s first golf committee, which comprised members Arthur Hunnewell, Laurence Curtis and Robert Bacon. Willie Campbell was hired as the professional in 1894 and helped add three new holes and redesign the original six. The club expanded to 18 holes in 1899. William Flynn designed a third nine in 1927, which is called Primrose.

The course used for championships, including the 2013 U.S. Amateur, is a composite that incorporates three-and-a-half holes from the Primrose. Geoffrey Cornish made changes before the 1963 U.S. Open. Rees Jones supervised revisions to the course before the 1988 U.S. Open. Gil Hanse has also done some recent restoration to the course. Charles River Country Club was designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1921.

COURSE SETUP: Green speeds are expected to be between 10.5 and 11 feet on the Stimpmeter at The Country Club and 10.5 to 11.5 feet at Charles River. The first cut of primary rough (15- to 20-foot width) will be 3 inches, while the second cut of primary rough will be 4 to 5 inches. The primary rough at Charles River will be 3.5 inches.

WHO CAN ENTER: The USGA accepted 7,002 entries for the 2013 championship, which was 599 more than in 2012. The record for entries is 7,920, in 1999. The 7,002 entries is the most since the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2 (7,298).

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING: Sectional qualifying, played over 36 holes, will be held between July 13-30. The deadline for entries is June 26. The number of qualifying sites has yet to be determined.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY: A field of 312 players will play 18 holes of stroke play on Aug. 12 and 13, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers. Six rounds of match play begin on Aug. 14 and the championship concludes with a scheduled 36-hole championship match on Aug. 18.

Tickets are $25 (single-day grounds) online or $30 on-site. Other passes and packages are available.

THE WINNER RECEIVES: Among the benefits enjoyed by the U.S. Amateur winner are:

1) A gold medal and custody of the Havemeyer Trophy for the ensuing year2) An exemption from local and sectional qualifying for the next U.S. Open3) An exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Amateurs4) An exemption from qualifying for the next British Open Championship5) A likely invitation to the next Masters Tournament

HISTORY: This is the 113th U.S. Amateur Championship. The U.S. Amateur Championship is the oldest golf championship in this country, one day older than the U.S. Open. Except for an eight-year period, 1965-1972, when it was contested at stroke play, the Amateur has been a match-play championship.

Throughout its history, the U.S. Amateur has been the most coveted of all amateur titles. Many of the great names of modern professional golf, such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Craig Stadler, Jerry Pate, Mark O’Meara, Hal Sutton, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, grace the Havemeyer Trophy.

It was, however, legendary amateur Robert T. Jones Jr., who first attracted national media coverage and sparked spectator attendance at the U.S. Amateur. Jones captured the championship five times (1924, 1925, 1927, 1928 and 1930). His 1930 victory was a seminal moment in golf history Jones won the four major American and British championships in one year and completed the Grand Slam by winning the U.S. Amateur at Merion Cricket Club in Ardmore, Pa.

Sixty-six years later, in 1996, Tiger Woods attracted similar levels of interest and enthusiasm at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore., when he won a record third straight U.S. Amateur, having registered 18 consecutive match-play victories. In 1994, Woods, at 18, had first entered the record book as the youngest U.S. Amateur champion, following his three consecutive Junior Amateur titles (1991-1993). That record has since been broken twice, first by 17-year-old Danny Lee in 2008 at Pinehurst No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C., then in 2009, when 17-year-old Byeong-Hun An won at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., with a 7-and-5 victory over Ben Martin, of Greenwood, S.C.

2012 CHAMPION: Steven Fox, 21, of Hendersonville, Tenn., made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 37th hole to defeat Michael Weaver, 21, of Fresno, Calif., at Cherry Hills Country Club, near Denver Colo. Fox, who like Weaver advanced to match play as one of 14 survivors of a 17-man playoff earlier in the week, became the lowest seed, No. 63, to win the U.S. Amateur since the USGA began the seeding process in 1985. Fox became the first to win the Amateur after advancing through a playoff since Italy’s Edorardo Molinari in 2005.

USGA AT THE COUNTRY CLUB: The Country Club has hosted five U.S. Amateurs and three U.S. Opens. In 1982, Jay Sigel won the first of two consecutive Amateur championships. This is the 100th anniversary of amateur Francis Ouimet’s historic U.S. Open win over Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. The champions in all three Opens at The Country Club won in playoffs, including Julius Boros in 1963 and Curtis Strange in 1988.

Ricky Johnson and Red Bull are taking Mount Snow by storm on Friday, Feb. 15 at 12 p.m. ET to show New Englanders what Red Bull Frozen Rush is all about. For more information on what, exactly, this event is, check out an excerpt from RedBull.com below.

“For the first time ever, a short course off-road Pro4 racing truck will take to the snow in Vermont’s Green Mountains to battle gravity and the elements as part of Red Bull Frozen Rush. The four-wheel drive vehicle, designed to handle just about anything a summertime off-road speedway can throw at it, will face an onslaught of new challenges when it enters winter’s frozen playground. Soft snow, steep terrain, ice and freezing temperatures is a recipe for disaster in any vehicle, but that won’t slow down champion off-road racer, Ricky Johnson. Armed with a set of custom spiked and specially designed tires from BFGoodrich’s Research and Development team, Ricky will wager his skills, experience, and even his truck’s capabilities as he attempts to conquer the slopes.”

Check out a video and some photos below. For more information, click here.

Jonathan Boudreau certainly looked the part of the pro in Saturday’s Candlepin for Kids final.

Teamed up with Anthony Del Monaco, the 17-year-old Boudreau could have easily been the “kid” part of the two kid-pro duos in the competition. But Boudreau showed why he’s considered a prodigy in the sport, leading his team to victory.

Boudreau and Del Monaco triumphed down the stretch, closing down any hopes from challengers Cameron Greene and John “Urbie” Kafalas.

Watch the final minutes of action and hear from the victors in the video above.

On Saturday at 11:30 a.m. on NESN, 17-year-old Jonathan Boudreau will appear on candlepin’s first televised event in three years, Candlepin for Kids. But even seven years earlier, he belonged with the pros.

A mischievous nine-year-old Boudreau sat in the bleachers at Pilgrim Lanes in Haverhill, Mass. watching a fundraiser match between pros and kids on a Sunday morning in 2005. The professionals featured a dream team of candlepin talent, with world-champion names famous to any candlepin fan worth his mettle: Gary Carrington, Jeff Surette andBob Whitcomb. Chris Sargent, the man whose world-record tying 245 game has never been beaten, threw a consistent powerful ball that dropped more strikes than Jason Varitek on a Tim Wakefield knuckler night. Meanwhile, the kids, featuring some of the game’s future stars, David Godwin and Steve Renaud Jr., were holding their own and keeping up with the game’s elite.

That was until the pros motioned to the stands for their secret weapon to enter their second game.

Down hopped Boudreau, with a cocky smile that he carries to this day, ready to bowl for the game’s top dogs. Parents and coaches jocularly booed and shouted in protest as the fourth grader took to the lane with a presence beyond his years. The lefty picked up a ball, spun it in his hand, and took his signature three-step approach that’s as efficient and effortless as a Brady drop back. The ball was on target. It connected in the strong-side pocket, and the pins crumbled for a strike.

The bowling center exploded in cheers, and pros drew up contracts to sign him for their teams. If Boudreau did sign a deal that day, Scott Boras should try to dig up the paper. Seven years later, the young phenom is the hottest commodity in the game.

Nicknamed “J-Bomb” after his iconic strike, Boudreau has taken the game’s top tournaments by storm. A month ago in Bangor, Maine, Boudreau finished with the second-highest average in the World Candlepin Championships — a week-long teams tournament featuring the game’s best from the United States and Canada. A year earlier at the Easter Classic — a twenty-string marathon that is the game’s top-paying single day tournament — Boudreau finished in fourth place. In both, he took down nearly all the household names he bowled alongside that fateful day years before. Most remarkable of all is the high school senior shouldn’t even be competing in these tournaments.

Two years ago at 16-years-old, Boudreau was one of the most accomplished youth bowlers in the history of the game, with numerous scholarship prizes from state tournament victories. However, the professional game lured him, despite the candlepin requirement that he give up his youth eligibility to compete. He withdrew from two years of youth tournaments to accelerate his road to compete against the game’s best, saying that “Some people felt the pressure would be too much to handle, but I felt like I was doing well enough to bowl against the adults and hold my own.” The rest has been just the first few pages of a story that may one day rewrite candlepin history.

His latest triumph took place at the Pro-Kid doubles tournament held at Leda Lanes, in candlepin bowling’s return to television after a three-year hiatus through the web show turned TV program Candlepin for Kids. After Boudreau tossed an impressive 382 score for fourth place, he was paired up with Dedham High School student Anthony Del Monaco, a 17-year-old just four months younger than Boudreau. The duo, formerly enemies on the lanes under the lights of the Candlepin for Kids web show, ripped through their bracket to earn a semifinal berth against the legendary New Hampshire high triple record-holder Craig Holbrook and his youth partner Josh Yaratz.

With the lights from the Candlepin Stars and Strikes ‘90s WNDS television show turned on for a web episode on http://www.cp4k.com, Boudreau thrived. Holbrook threw everything he had at the youngster with a quick four marks in a row, but Boudreau answered with a clutch double strike for the victory.

Boudreau and partner Del Monaco now compete against sixteen-year-old Cameron Greene and professional John “Urbie” Kafalas for the tournament title. Regardless of the outcome, it appears to be only a matter of time before Boudreau takes the final step to the top of the game’s pro circuit. He may already be there now.

Filed under: NESN Newswire, NESN Staff, New England Spotlight, Top Stories]]>http://nesn.com/2012/12/17-year-old-candlepin-bowling-prodigy-jonathan-boudreau-ready-to-shine-on-nesns-candlepin-for-kids/feed/00Boudreau Del MonaconesnstaffAnthony Del Monaco, Jonathan BoudreauCandlepin Bowlers Compete in Semifinals Before Facing Off in Final on NESN (Video)http://nesn.com/2012/12/candlepin-bowlers-compete-in-semifinals-before-facing-off-in-final-on-nesn-video/
http://nesn.com/2012/12/candlepin-bowlers-compete-in-semifinals-before-facing-off-in-final-on-nesn-video/#commentsSat, 08 Dec 2012 15:23:26 +0000http://nesn.com/?p=112328Read More »]]>Candlepin for Kids will crown a champion soon enough, but the bowlers first had to fight through some stiff competition to get to the final round.

Anthony Del Monaco and Jonathan Boudreau faced down Josh Yaratz and Craig Holbrook in the first semifinal, and Ryan Donnell and Jeff Surette went up against Cameron Greene and John “Urbie” Kafalas in the other semifinal to see who would bowl to win it all.

The final is on NESN at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, but be sure to see how the competition has developed so far by watching the semifinals in the videos below.

Filed under: Headlines, New England Spotlight, Video Non-NESN]]>http://nesn.com/2012/12/candlepin-bowlers-compete-in-semifinals-before-facing-off-in-final-on-nesn-video/feed/00CandlepinnesnstaffPop Warner National Championships Produce Top Plays From Future NFL Stars (Video)http://nesn.com/2012/12/pop-warner-national-championships-produce-top-plays-from-future-nfl-stars-video/
http://nesn.com/2012/12/pop-warner-national-championships-produce-top-plays-from-future-nfl-stars-video/#commentsFri, 07 Dec 2012 01:02:06 +0000http://nesn.com/?p=111904Read More »]]>For the 56th time, the best Pop Warner teams from across the country met to conclude their seasons and produce a national champion.

In the latest installment, teams descended upon Disney’s Wide World of Sports to tackle their most formidable opponents, in search of claiming a national title.

The New England area was well represented, as teams from Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire flew south to battle the country’s best.

Check out the video below to see the top 10 best plays from action that took place on Dec. 5, and keep your eyes out for these kids in the future — you never know when the next Maurice Jones-Drew or Aaron Rodgers will make their way through the youth ranks.

Filed under: Headlines, New England Spotlight, Offbeat, Video Non-NESN]]>http://nesn.com/2012/12/pop-warner-national-championships-produce-top-plays-from-future-nfl-stars-video/feed/00Pop WarnernesnstaffWest Lynn Rams Fall in Semifinals of Pop Warner National Championships at Disney’s Wide World of Sports (Video)http://nesn.com/2012/12/west-lynn-rams-fall-in-semifinals-of-pop-warner-national-championships-at-disneys-wide-world-of-sports-video/
http://nesn.com/2012/12/west-lynn-rams-fall-in-semifinals-of-pop-warner-national-championships-at-disneys-wide-world-of-sports-video/#commentsFri, 07 Dec 2012 00:13:04 +0000http://nesn.com/?p=111886Read More »]]>After an undefeated regular season and march through the New England region, the West Lynn (Mass.) Rams fell in the semifinals of the Midget (12- to 14-year-olds) Division II Pop Warner National Championships held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

The Rams made their way to the semifinals after a sound 29-0 defeat of the Ypsilanti (Mich.) Panthers on Dec. 1. West Lynn would then have to take on the Palm Bay (Fla.) Rockets for an opportunity to play for the national title.

Unfortunately for the boys of West Lynn, they came up just short, falling to the Rockets 18-6. The Rams had an opportunity to score early, but a fumble inside the 5-yard line halted their momentum. The Rockets scored 18 consecutive points before the Rams got on the board.

Check out the video below for highlights and coach’s analysis from the game.

A couple of local golf enthusiasts who specialize in mobile technology have created a new way to improve your golf game. After all, co-founders Amit Jardosh and Krishna Ramchandran originally started developing the app in hopes of improving their own golf games.

UberSense is a free application compatible with your iPhone and iPad that allows you to record and analyze your golf swing. This tool is so popular it is being used by not just golfers, but also professional and Olympic athletes worldwide.

Watch NESN.com’s Alexandra Grace put UberSense to the test at Nashawtuc Country Club.

Ghosts and goblins took a back seat to locked-out Bruins, former managers and Olympic heroes at this year’s Halloween pub crawl in Boston.

NESN.com’s Paul Paquette crawled around town during the annual event and caught up with the best and most creative sports-themed costumes, as seen in the video above. The organizers of the Halloween pub crawl will be back at it again in December, when the 12 Bars of Christmas pub crawl takes over the city. Information can be found at www.crawlinboston.com.

Filed under: New England Spotlight, Top Stories, Video]]>http://nesn.com/2012/10/boston-sports-figures-well-represented-at-annual-boston-pub-crawl-video/feed/00nesnstaffAli Williams and the Great Eight Tackle the Head of the Charles Regatta (Video)http://nesn.com/2012/10/ali-williams-and-the-great-eight-tackle-the-head-of-the-charles-regatta-video/
http://nesn.com/2012/10/ali-williams-and-the-great-eight-tackle-the-head-of-the-charles-regatta-video/#commentsThu, 25 Oct 2012 09:48:00 +0000http://vip.nesn.com/2012/10/25/ali-williams-and-the-great-eight-tackle-the-head-of-the-charles-regatta-video/Read More »]]>

It may not be London 2012, but you would not know that after talking to these athletes.

Now in its 48th year, the Head of the Charles Regatta is ranked among Boston’s top sporting events. It includes 55 different events and hundreds of thousands of participants.

During the two-day event, over 9,000 rowers took on the Charles River’s snake-like turns, headwinds and bridges. Amongst those athletes were the Great Eight. Jen Stafford caught up with the crew, as seen in the video above.

Fans lined the Fenway Park outfield on a September afternoon but instead of gloves and Red Sox gear, they had fishing rods and L.L. Bean gear.

The “Ultimate Outdoor Experience” was sponsored by L.L. Bean and the Red Sox in commemoration of the ballpark’s and L.L. Bean’s 100th anniversaries. Eight grand prize winners were teamed up with four fly casting experts, along with Red Sox outfielders Ryan Kalish and Daniel Nava. Each were given fly rods and learned the basics of fly casting on the edge of outfield.

From “skyakers” to high-divers, Boston Harbor has seen it all this summer.

In August, divers from all around the globe congregated at the ICA building in Boston’s Seaport district for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Many professional divers jumped from a 90-foot platform into the harbor, but it was United Kingdom’s Gary Hunt who took first place for the second year in Boston.

NESN.com’s Jen Stafford caught the action, as seen in the video above.

Filed under: Headlines, Jennifer Stafford, New England Spotlight, Video]]>http://nesn.com/2012/09/red-bull-cliff-diving-world-series-returns-to-boston-harbor-draws-nearly-50000-fans-video/feed/00nesnstaffUConn’s LJ Mazzilli, Son of Lee Mazzilli, Looking to Carve Out Own Big League Legacy (Podcast)http://nesn.com/2012/08/uconns-lj-mazzilli-son-of-lee-mazzilli-looking-to-carve-out-own-big-league-legacy-podcast/
http://nesn.com/2012/08/uconns-lj-mazzilli-son-of-lee-mazzilli-looking-to-carve-out-own-big-league-legacy-podcast/#commentsFri, 31 Aug 2012 19:36:17 +0000http://vip.nesn.com/2012/08/31/uconns-lj-mazzilli-son-of-lee-mazzilli-looking-to-carve-out-own-big-league-legacy-podcast/Read More »]]>LJ Mazzilli has been around baseball his entire life. That’s what happens when your father is a Major League Baseball outfielder.

Mazzilli’s father, Lee, played 14 seasons in the majors, and has enjoyed a coaching career in recent years. Mazzilli said he learned a lot from his father and from being around the game on a daily basis, but the UConn standout is now focused on carving out his own big league legacy.

Mazzilli’s approach has been a patient one. The infielder, who also played in the Cape Cod League, has been tremendous during his three seasons at UConn, leading the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. The hard work and success hasn’t gone unnoticed, but despite getting drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the ninth round (280th overall) of this year’s MLB draft, Mazzilli will be returning to UConn for his senior season.

NESN.com’s Ricky Doyle recently caught up with LJ Mazzilli to discuss the infielder’s future, what went into his decision-making process and what it was like growing up around baseball as the son of a major league All-Star.

Filed under: MLB, New England Spotlight, Podcast, Ricky Doyle, Top Stories, UConn]]>http://nesn.com/2012/08/uconns-lj-mazzilli-son-of-lee-mazzilli-looking-to-carve-out-own-big-league-legacy-podcast/feed/00nesnstaffUConn's LJ Mazzilli, Son of Lee Mazzilli, Looking to Carve Out Own Big League Legacy (Podcast)Kevin Heller Making Seamless Transition From Yankees Fan to Hardworking Red Sox Minor Leaguer (Podcast)http://nesn.com/2012/08/kevin-heller-making-seamless-transition-from-yankees-fan-to-hard-working-red-sox-minor-leaguer/
http://nesn.com/2012/08/kevin-heller-making-seamless-transition-from-yankees-fan-to-hard-working-red-sox-minor-leaguer/#commentsThu, 30 Aug 2012 20:01:40 +0000http://vip.nesn.com/2012/08/30/kevin-heller-making-seamless-transition-from-yankees-fan-to-hard-working-red-sox-minor-leaguer/Read More »]]>Kevin Heller entered Amherst College with big league aspirations. After getting drafted by the Red Sox in the 40th round of this year’s MLB Draft, the 2012 graduate is one step closer to accomplishing his dream.

Heller put together a superb career at Amherst, which is also the alma mater of Boston general manager Ben Cherington (1996). Heller finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in hits (172), runs (136), RBIs (126) and total bases (275). He is also tied for the most home runs (18).

Heller went through a stressful predraft process that included playing in front of scouts regularly, but he wasn’t sure where he’d get drafted or even whether he’d get drafted at all. Fortunately for Heller, on Day 3, the Red Sox scooped him up with the 1,231st pick — just seven more picks remained after he was selected.

The Brooklyn native, who admits he grew up a Yankees fan, is ready to make the transition to becoming a member of Red Sox Nation. As you’d expect, he’s a fan of whoever is willing to give him a shot at achieving his ultimate goal.

NESN.com’s Ricky Doyle caught up with Heller to discuss the outfielder’s college career, his predraft activities, his lengthy draft wait and his future.

Filed under: Boston Red Sox, MLB, NESN Newswire, New England Spotlight, Podcast, Ricky Doyle, Top Stories]]>http://nesn.com/2012/08/kevin-heller-making-seamless-transition-from-yankees-fan-to-hard-working-red-sox-minor-leaguer/feed/00nesnstaffKevin Heller Making Seamless Transition From Yankees Fan to Hardworking Red Sox Minor Leaguer (Podcast)Mike Samela, Amherst College Graduate and Worcester Tornadoes Catcher, Still Has Sights Set on Majors (Podcast)http://nesn.com/2012/08/mike-samela-amherst-college-graduate-and-worcester-tornadoes-catcher-discusses-mlb-draft-process/
http://nesn.com/2012/08/mike-samela-amherst-college-graduate-and-worcester-tornadoes-catcher-discusses-mlb-draft-process/#commentsWed, 29 Aug 2012 20:03:56 +0000http://vip.nesn.com/2012/08/29/mike-samela-amherst-college-graduate-and-worcester-tornadoes-catcher-discusses-mlb-draft-process/Read More »]]>Mike Samela is keeping the dream alive — one game at a time, one at-bat at a time, one pitch at a time.

Samela, a 2012 graduate, enjoyed a successful baseball career at Amherst College, getting to the point where playing professionally after college became an option. He never heard his name called at this year’s MLB draft, despite getting scouted and going through the stressful predraft process, but Samela has hardly given up his big league aspirations.

The young catcher has since caught on with the Worcester Tornadoes of the independent Can-Am League, and he’s continuing to hone his skills, hopefully to the point where he’ll someday get another chance to show MLB teams what he’s all about. It should only take some fine-tuning for Samela, as he led Division III Amherst in batting average (.380), runs (30), hits (46), RBIs (33) and slugging percentage (.562) during his senior season.

Samela accomplished all that while balancing a schedule that also included his academics and a standout football career, showing the passion with which he tackled all challenges.

Samela caught up with NESN.com recently to discuss his college career, what the predraft process was like, how he felt when he realized he wasn’t drafted and what he’s now looking to do as a member of the Tornadoes.

Even if the local teams played poorly over the last 10 years, sports fans could still count on the playoffs rolling through the Greater Boston area each year.

That's because the Deutsche Bank Championship, a staple at TPC Boston since 2003, is coming to town Labor Day weekend. But this year's tournament is set to be a grand affair, as things inside and outside the ropes are looking a little different. In addition to completely renovating the pristine 18th hole's green, some hospitality areas around the Norton course have received impressive upgrades, as well.

Alexandra Grace stopped by TPC Boston to chat with Eric Baldwin and Brad Williams, as seen in the video above.

Filed under: Alexandra Grace, Golf, New England Spotlight, Top Stories, Video]]>http://nesn.com/2012/08/tpc-bostons-new-18th-green-set-to-make-things-more-interesting-at-2012-deutsche-bank-championship-vi/feed/00nesnstaffDock Dogs Steal the Show in Mansfield As Local Canines Show Off Big Air Tricks (Video)http://nesn.com/2012/08/dock-dogs-steal-the-show-in-mansfield-as-local-canines-show-off-big-air-tricks-video/
http://nesn.com/2012/08/dock-dogs-steal-the-show-in-mansfield-as-local-canines-show-off-big-air-tricks-video/#commentsTue, 14 Aug 2012 15:58:19 +0000http://vip.nesn.com/2012/08/14/dock-dogs-steal-the-show-in-mansfield-as-local-canines-show-off-big-air-tricks-video/Read More »]]>

They call it the dog days of August for a reason.

But after seeing the Dock Dogs competition in Mansfield, Mass., earlier this month, there should be a new meaning to the famous phrase.

NESN.com's Alexandra Grace attended the weekend festivities, that included high jumping, long jumping and everything in between, as seen in the video above.

Not everyone is good enough to make it to the Olympics in London. So Kings Boston decided to host its own event last month — the Bar Olympics.

Events included bar favorites such pool and shuffleboard as well as Kings’ specialty, bowling. Twenty teams entered, with the gold medal going to the creatively named (and Space Jam-inspired) Team Tickle MonStars.

NESN.com’s Alexandra Grace and Mike Cole were also among the participants and helped document the action. Check out the above video for a recap of the event.